Lucca Franco’s Villa

You know what struck me first about Lucca Franco’s Villa? It’s not actually in Lucca proper – it’s tucked away in this tiny village called Diecimo that most people blow right past on their way to the famous walled city. But honestly, that’s exactly what makes it special. I mean, you’re getting the real Tuscany here, not the tourist-packed version.

The villa sits on Via del Santo, which is basically the main drag through Diecimo (and I use “main drag” loosely – it’s more like a quiet country road where the biggest traffic jam is when Signora Benedetti parks her Fiat sideways to chat with her neighbor). Franco – yeah, he’s an actual person, not just a name on the sign – clearly put some serious thought into this place. The rooms have that perfect balance of rustic charm and modern comfort that’s surprisingly hard to nail. Think exposed beams and terracotta floors, but with wifi that actually works and showers with decent water pressure. The beds are genuinely comfortable too, which… look, I’ve stayed in enough “charming” Italian places with mattresses that felt like medieval torture devices to appreciate when someone gets this right.

What really won me over though was the location’s practicality. You’re about fifteen minutes from Lucca by car – and parking here is free, which is basically a miracle given that parking in Lucca itself costs more than dinner. The train station in Diecimo is literally a five-minute walk, so you can actually day-trip to Florence or Pisa without the headache of driving. Franco will tell you all about the local hiking trails too, and there’s this incredible one that starts practically at the villa’s back door and winds up through olive groves to these views over the Serchio Valley that’ll make you understand why people move to Tuscany and never leave. The breakfast spread is nothing fancy – fresh pastries from the village bakery, local honey, really good coffee – but it’s served on this covered terrace where you can hear church bells from three different villages echoing across the valley. It’s the kind of moment that makes you want to cancel your afternoon plans and just… stay put. The whole place has that 8.9 rating for good reason – it’s not trying to be a luxury resort, it’s just doing the small-town Italian hospitality thing really, really well.